What you do not know about osteoarthritis
Suffering from osteoarthritis requires immediate medical care, as neglecting the condition is not a very good thing because it causes the individual to have many complications that may be dangerous. In the following article, we will learn very important information regarding this issue, so let us read the following.
Osteitis
Bone inflammation is a medical term that indicates the individual picking up an infection in the bones or as a result of a wound as a result of an injury, as this inflammation in the bones may be very acute as a result of an infection in the bones, especially festering germs, or it may be chronic as a result of the inflammation reaching a very late stage due to the presence of mild inflammation in the bones from the beginning and neglecting to treat it properly.
The inflammation of the bones may also be the result of infection with some diseases that are very rare, such as bone infections in an advanced stage of syphilis, deforming osteitis, also known as Paget’s, in addition to cystic fibrous osteitis. There are many causes behind bone inflammation, such as:
- Bone picking for a bacterial infection.
- Infection with some diseases such as Paget’s disease.
- Exposure to an accident results in fractures.
- An individual can contract an infection during a surgical procedure, and pathogens can be drawn from the affected parts through the bloodstream into the bones, which penetrate the bone tissue and cause infections that are accompanied by osteomyelitis.
Severe osteoarthritis
Severe inflammation affecting the bones is the result of a mild inflammation that was exaggeratedly neglected from the beginning until it reached the current situation, and that condition is diagnosed by the specialized doctor by performing the following procedures:
- Examinations to detect signs of inflammation in the body: Many tests are performed in the laboratory to measure the various signs of inflammation that indicate that the body has caught an infection, as this inflammation may be a result of inflammation in other areas of the human body other than the bones.
- Blood tests: A blood sample is taken and examined thoroughly to identify the bacteria that may have caused this disease, and through this, the appropriate treatment for the patient is identified, which will be more effective for his condition.
- Imaging tests: Many imaging tests are performed through which the condition is more clearly identified, such as x-rays, bone scans, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
When suffering from inflammation in the bones and joints, many symptoms appear to the individual and it is very important not to ignore them and to start receiving appropriate treatment immediately so that the symptoms do not seriously worsen. Examples of symptoms that the patient feels in that case include:
- Suffering from very severe swelling in the affected joint.
- The affected joint has a higher temperature than the rest of the body surrounding it.
- Loss of desire to eat and thus there is a noticeable loss in the weight of the individual.
- The color and shape of the skin change, and the individual suffers from deformities in the shape of the joints.
- Skin irritation, redness, and rash.
- Facing great difficulty in moving the affected joint, and this hinders the individual from performing many daily activities normally.
- A crackling sound from the joint when moving it.
- Severe insomnia, inability to relax and sleep well.
- Suffering from mood swings, depression, and anxiety.
- Stiffness and stiffness of the joints, especially in the morning periods when waking up directly from sleep.
Is osteitis dangerous?
It is possible to treat the inflammation on the bones at its inception if it is mild in simple ways, but neglecting the condition for a long period and not receiving appropriate treatment causes many serious complications, such as:
- Bone death: This may occur as a result of the inability of blood to reach the bones in a good way, which causes the death of the tissues that make them up, and if the damage is light, then in that case it can be surgically removed and the bones can replace this part again, but if the damage caused is very significant and has not been controlled, then, in that case, amputation may be resorted to for that area.
- Joint infection: Bone infection can affect adjacent joints, causing inflammation in the joint, and given that the joints are unable to regenerate, as happens to the bones, this may cause osteoarthritis in the joint, and its treatment is to surgically remove the joint and replace it with an artificial one.
- Growth problems in children: the occurrence of bone infections during the growth period causes great damage to them, and this may lead to a slowdown in growth or a final stop, and this results in uneven bone growth and thus results in deformities in the bones and limbs.
- Skin cancer: when the inflammation is chronic, it results in skin cancer, as pockets arise that drain pus from the site of inflammation in the bone to the outside of the skin, and these pockets may cause a cancerous transformation that leads to the emergence of cortical skin cancer.
Causes of osteoarthritis
Bone inflammation occurs to an individual as a result of a bacterial infection, which is a type of Staphylococcus bacteria, and this type is widely spread and is naturally present on the skin and inside the gills, and the real question is how these bacteria reach the bones, and this happens as a result of the following:
- Bloodstream: Bacteria may enter the bloodstream and this results in infection elsewhere in the body and enters the bones through the weak points in which it is located. It also enters the bones of children through the growth plate located at the ends of the bones.
- Infection of adjacent tissues: The infection may already be present in the tissues that are adjacent to the bone and then move to the bone, causing severe inflammation.
- Direct penetration: This occurs as a result of direct exposure of the bones to bacteria after exposure to an injury such as an open fracture or an operation through which the bones are exposed such as fracture splinting or joint replacement.
Herbal treatment of osteoarthritis
Many herbs have very good therapeutic properties that work to reduce the severity of inflammation that an individual suffers from, and examples of herbs that are used in the treatment are:
- Garlic: It contains many anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and has a great role in accelerating the recovery of osteoarthritis. It is possible to eat one clove of garlic daily while it is raw, and enzymes that contain allicin are released, and it also contains the form of tablets in the pharmacy.
- Basil: It contains a large percentage of vitamins and minerals that are very important to enhance the health of the immune system, and the percentage of vitamin C inside it is greater than that found in oranges, and this is why doctors recommend it in addition to the medicines that are used in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
- Milk Thistle: It enhances the health of the immune system in the individual’s body and has a major role in treating osteoarthritis. It can also be used in the form of a food supplement sold in pharmacies.
- Lavender: It is considered an aromatic plant that is used to relax muscles and relieve tension, and it can be used to relieve pain caused by osteoarthritis by drinking lavender tea or using its oil directly on the injured area.
- Rosemary: accelerates the healing process as it enhances the function of the immune system and has a major role in relieving symptoms resulting from infections in the bones.
- Goldenseal: This herb contains berberine, which has many anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to having many immunological effects on the first immunoglobulin against inflammatory causes. It is available in pharmacies in the form of a food supplement.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
When there is inflammation in the bones and muscles, there are many symptoms that begin to appear on the individual, for example:
- Suffering from muscle weakness that gets worse over time.
- Loss of balance while walking.
- Having great difficulty in carrying out normal activities of daily living.
- Presence of hoarseness.
- Feeling very difficult to swallow.
- The appearance of a rash on many areas of the body that is red or purple in many areas, such as the eyelids, face, nose, neck area, front, and back chest.
Bone and joint inflammation
Bone and joint inflammation is called osteoarthritis, and it mostly affects the joints of the hands, hips, and knees, and with age, the joint cartilage begins to break down and the underlying bones begin to change, and most of these developments happen very slowly and get worse over time, and this may cause pain and suffering of hardening and the appearance of swelling.
What is the treatment of arthritis and bones?
Osteoarthritis can be treated in the following ways:
- Medication treatment: The doctor prescribes some intravenous antibiotics in the first stage of treatment, and when the symptoms disappear, antibiotics can be taken orally, and this treatment is continued for not less than six weeks.
- Surgery: This method of treatment is used in cases of chronic osteoarthritis, where the pus is drained and the dead parts of the bones are removed. This also helps restore blood flow to the bones again and get rid of any foreign bodies.
How long does it take to treat osteoarthritis?
The time it takes for an individual to treat bone infections is according to the extent of development that his condition has reached, but the duration of treatment may be up to six weeks, and it may be longer if the individual is in an advanced stage of the disease.
